Journalist and economist David McWilliams has again ruled out standing in the general election.
Mr McWilliams, in a post on his blog, acknowledged this morning there had been speculation about his candidacy in the election. He then added: “Thanks for all the support, messages, comments and enthusiasm, but I am not a politician, unfortunately.”
Last week, it was reported that Mr McWilliams was giving serious consideration to contesting the general election in Dún Laoghaire as an Independent candidate under an umbrella movement expected to be known as the “New Ireland Movement”.
This followed his attendance along with about 25 people at a meeting in Greystones. At the meeting were two people who had worked on Barack Obama’s campaign.
Last December, he ruled out standing but told The Irish Times he believed people were crying out for an alternative to the mainstream political parties.
“I would make a brutal politician because I couldn’t fix drains or get involved in the kind of stuff that politicians do,” but he added: “My sense is that there is a huge appetite for change. Outside Leinster House people want real change but standing for the Dáil is not really for me.”